This is not a normal situation. Normal rules do not apply. What’s different? This….

Donald Trump is the first openly racist presidential candidate we’ve had in over 40 years. Lets let that sink in…. an openly racist candidate… for President of the United States.

Donald Trump is openly racist. Supporting him is itself an openly racist act. You may hold the opinion that his racism is somehow excusable or acceptable. Or that its somehow okay to support a racist, as long as you yourself are not racist. Or that its okay to support a racist, because he’s not Hillary. You are indeed entitled to any of those opinions. You are also wrong. Racism is not okay. Yours is a morally wrong opinion.

I am under no obligation to respect your racist opinion. Your opinion is unworthy of respect. In fact I will go on record right now and say if you support racism, in any form, I will have little or no respect for you.

Being openly racist is unacceptable. It is un-American. It has no place in our society. We should not tolerate it. We should never tolerate it. (If you’re confused, just remember, its okay to be intolerant of intolerance.)

First – this is NOT an article about Trump. (Even I’m getting tired of those. You can only say the same thing so many times.)

Second – this article is NOT anti-Trump. (Trump may be the inevitable result of this story, but he is not the story.)

THIS story is much older and bigger and wider and deeper than the current Trump phenomenon. This is the history of who we are, and how we got here. Trump is only the latest chapter. This story started hundreds of years ago, generations before we were born, and yet directly impacts us today.

Our world today did not just suddenly spring into existence. It is the direct result of literally everything that came before it. We lose sight of that at our own peril.

The article is long, but not unnecessarily so. It contains great insight and understanding. The tone of the article implies an intent that I don’t think exists, but the facts, the things that happened, regardless of intent, and the results of those actions, are irrefutable. These things happened. God can judge intent. We are left with the results.

It doesn’t hurt that it is well written, and makes for an easy read.

If you don’t want to read the whole thing, you will miss out on a lot of important history, but I think this excerpt sums it up best…

“I’m no one special. I am a poor, uneducated, white woman. I am the white underclass, and I am no one’s enemy. I fight for racial equality because people of color are not my enemy. Gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender people are not my enemy. Immigrants and refugees are not my enemy. Muslims are not my enemy. Native Americans are not my enemy. Single mothers and fathers are not my enemy. People on Medicare, disability, food stamps, and unemployment are not my enemy. The homeless are not my enemy. And it turns out that the people of a small Arkansas town in the middle of the Ozarks are not my enemy.”

“Other poor people are not the enemy, no matter how they look, how they pray, or who they love. They are fighting to be heard. They are people who, like Trump supporters, agree with the statement, ‘People like me don’t have any say about what the government does.'”

I have held off commenting on the whole “Black Lives Matter” controversy for quite some time, mostly because I can’t believe it is even possible for there to be a controversy. I seriously thought I was imagining it. Apparently I am not. So…. hang on, we’re gonna have to think this one through.

Let’s break it down….

It’s a pretty simple statement. Black Lives Matter. Who in their right mind could possibly argue otherwise? Seriously, how do you argue against that statement?

Then I realized. In my logical, English-speaking mind, the opposite of “Black Lives Matter” is the simple negation, “Black Lives Don’t Matter”. Who would believe that? Who would think that? What kind of racist monster would even suggest saying Black Lives Don’t Matter?

Nobody. No one would. That’s not it. That’s not how it works. First…. you have to twist the message.

The only thing the “Black Lives Matter” movement is saying, is…. wait for it….. Black. Lives. Matter. Just those three words. That’s it. That’s all. Nothing more. Nothing less. It really is that simple.

Only in America would people think “All Lives Matter” is the logical opposite of “Black Lives Matter”.

Do we not understand subsets?

Of course All Lives Matter. Of course Black Lives Matter. These are not mutually exclusive. After all “Black” is part of “All” right? Black people are part of All people, right?

3) Yeah, I get it, I understand that the giant battle flag flying at the intersection of I-4 and I-75 is meant to be a memorial to confederate soldiers.

But, none of that matters to me, because…

4) A long time ago I personally decided I would not display it, because I have good friends, friends who are very dear to me, to whom that flag simply IS a symbol of hatred and racism. Now I could spend all my time educating them, and all the new friends and acquaintances I would make throughout my life, on why it’s not really a symbol of hate, at least not when viewed in its proper historical perspective, and why it is nothing more than a harmless symbol of southern pride and heritage. But I thought, even if it were possible, I have much more important things to do with my life.

And it shouldn’t matter to you either…

5) For those who continue to insist that the confederate flag has nothing to do with hate: Are you kidding me? Nothing to do with hate? The KKK adopted it as their flag. It’s their number one go-to symbol. White supremacists everywhere use it as their flag. Pull your head out of your ass, of course it’s a symbol of hate.

Maybe it didn’t start that way, but that is what it has become. Maybe that’s not what it means to you personally, but that most definitely is what it means to others. It’s time we grew up and faced today’s reality.

As a community, having that flag fly at our largest crossroad is like putting up a giant sign that says “Niggers Go Home”. You can talk all day about “History” and “Heritage”, but that’s what it says to the rest of the world. Don’t believe me — I’m sure you pride yourself on having at least one black friend, ask him or her what that flag means to them.

It’s time we grow up, face the truth, understand what the flag symbolizes today, not a hundred and fifty years ago, but today, and recognize it’s time we put our racist relics behind us, and try to act like decent human beings to ALL of God’s children.

And lastly…

6) For those of you who say it’s about “Freedom”. That you have the freedom to fly that flag, that it is your right to display it. Yep, you’re right. You are one hundred percent correct. We live in a free country. By flying that flag, and in a thousand other ways, you have the absolute, constitutionally protected, right to be an asshole.

A lot of people think this whole controversy over the name Washington Redskins is being blown out of proportion, that people are making a mountain out of a molehill, that it’s a tempest in a teacup, that it’s… well use whatever colorful metaphor you like, the idea is it’s no big deal, it’s not important, and everyone should shut up about it and get on with their lives.

Not surprisingly, most of the people saying this are white people. Here’s the thing: White people don’t get to say whether or not it’s a big deal. You know who does? Native Americans. White people don’t get to decide whether or not it’s offensive. You know who does? Native Americans.

If Native Americans say it is offensive, then it is offensive. If Native Americans say it is a big deal, then guess what? It’s a big deal. Period. End of story.

The truth is, unless you’ve ever actually been called “redskin”, or “nigger”, or “spic”, or “kike”, or “faggot”, you don’t know anything about it. Don’t for one second delude yourself into thinking that you do. You. Don’t. Know. And if that’s the case, get down on your hands and knees and thank your God you’ve never had to deal with that.